Good start, Liam Moore ref

And Mcllorum off the hook is now playing.

I get the vibe Wigan are going to put absolutely everything into this game. Given the embarrassing magic result.

I noted they were doing warm weather training even last week and are doing a proper trip to France.


Whether they’ll have the skill/physicality to match Catalan remains to be seen.

I hope some of their preparation will involve looking at the weather and adjusting accordingly. The forecast for Saturday there is 31c - 90f. That is very hot!

Perhaps negotiations with match officials about a water break.
Maybe kicking on the sixth we kick it into touch giving a few seconds break instead of belting to their fullback/wingman to run it back at us. Our line speed over the 80 might not be where we want it to be. Harry is the best field kicker in SL so he can put the ball where we want it more or less.
Leave it a few extra minutes to come out for the 2nd half making Cats wait ion the sun for us.
etc etc.

This won't be a normal match even against the top of the table. This will be completely different and we'll have to cope as best we can. Try and control events and not let events control us!

Feels like this is the last chance to really build some confidence and momentum prior to the play offs. Play well and even in a close defeat, I think we can gain some belief but if we go there, keep playing with zero patience and get run over and I think any sort of hope I have of being successful in 2023 will evaporate. We have all the tools to worry anybody but we can’t keep self harming.

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2023/08/ ... atalans-5/ Would imagine it'll be Ellis for Hill in the 17

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2023/08/ ... atalans-5/ Would imagine it'll be Ellis for Hill in the 17

Think we're in big trouble in this one but I hope I'm wrong. At least it cools down a bit on Saturday - looks like around 26 degrees as opposed to 32+ today.

Nah, we'll batter 'em then chuck the two points away by getting beat by Salford next week

Must win game.

For no particular reason I’ve got good vibes for today but that has got to be on the back of a good start.
If we cut down on the mistakes and if we get Field some gaps I could see us going well in dry conditions.
If we want to come second at the end of the regular season then it is the proverbial must win game.

It feels like a game we have to win but can only see a 16-20 point defeat.

Saints form suggests that they may not lose a league again this season as they have a relatively easy end to the season therefore, we must also try to remain undefeated. A big ask but at some point we’ve got to match Catalan in the forwards to give us some sort of chance. Hopefully today is the day.
A loss of 20 points I think would have a very demoralising impact and could all but finish any GF hopes. I don’t think we will win the GF but I’ve a sneaking feeling we’ve been preparing for today for a few weeks.

Ellis in for Hill and starts, Dupree taking the bench spot

I hope so.

From Catalans' perspective this is the year they really have to get over the line. Their team is ripped apart next season with Tomkins, Keighran, May, Pearce, Whiteley and Taukeaiho all leaving. They must be very relieved that Mickey Mac agreed to stay on another year.

Almost faultless display from our pack, and the others who are helping out in the yardage. Sadly, let down again with the place kicking boots from our number seven. Finally, Bevan is taking on the line we need is that for at least a month

*Glad he nailed the last couple though

Any reason Tomkins hasn't been red carded?

He deliberately kneed O'Neill and then had a swinging arm on French for the try.

What a half. Well in lads

And....we're 22 points up at halftime.

If that was on sky sports coverage, they would be going back over and seeing how bad it is. He should have seen red for it but he didn’t hit O’Neill’s head so it doesn’t matter it seems.

Incredible half of rugby from Wigan. Brutal line speed and defence, rolling them upfield and massively cut back on our errors and penalty count.

Couldn't have asked for anything more from them in that half, by far our best of the season.

Shocking how Tomkins has got away with that knee, will be very interested to see what the MRP thinks of it.

Another good performance (if only a half) against a good side, until we get knocked out I will cling on to hope we can win at OT.

Meters we’ve been making these last few games are incredible.

Needed that performance after last week

This is brutal..

Cancelled out their points diff advantage, top performance